Water Toxicity....and Don't argue with me

alerica1
alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
edited October 5 in Food and Nutrition
OK. I just got out of the hospital after being there for 3 days. Late Tuesday night I passed out, then I passed out again, then I passed out again and again over a period of 20 minutes. I became unresponsive and my 17 year old daughter found me face down in our hallway on our hardwood floor. I now have a black eye from hitting my head on the hardwood floor and I have majorly bruised ribs and chest bones from hitting my nightstand. The final diagnosis....DEHYDRATION! I have been an advocate for drinking water, and plenty of it. As a result, the nutrients from everything I ate and drank (even protein drinks) was being flushed right through me. I was gaining nothing at all from what I was eating, nutrition-wise. What I failed to take into consideration was I the face that I was also getting water through the food I ate and the milk I drank, etc. When I'm told to drink water....that's exactly what I drink....WATER! Let this be a lesson to you. I'm 50 years old, 5"4.5" and I weight 135 lbs. I'm going to post the gross, disgusting black eye I have as a result. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE learn from MY mistake. I was discharged from the hospital last night and I'm not even feeling 70% myself YET. So, if you think I'm wrong, please don't post it. I'm really not in the mood to deal with bullcrap this morning. Thank you.
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Replies

  • midnight8
    midnight8 Posts: 48
    How much water were you drinking? I hope you start feeling Better soon!! That doesn't sound fun.....
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
    Anywhere from eight 8 oz glasses to twelve 8 oz. glasses.
  • Purpleflipflops
    Purpleflipflops Posts: 563 Member
    I've heard of people getting in trouble from over hydrating, but I'd imaging it'd be different for everyone (In terms of how much it takes).
    But I hope you feel better... I would maybe try and slow down your drinking, or drink before meals?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,027 Member
    Overdrinking water may have been your issue, but you didn't say how much you were drinking. I drink almost a gallon a day with no issues, but I'm also sure to keep my electrolytes balanced. Get well soon.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • michellyn
    michellyn Posts: 108 Member
    Not arguing--just trying to understand. How can we get dehydrated while drinking water? Is there a way to drink water that leads to greater hydration (i.e. sipping vs. downing a whole glass at once)? I believe you about water toxicity--once when I had a sinus infection, I drank way too much water attempting to relieve the symptoms and actually made myself jittery and feverish feeling.
  • michellyn
    michellyn Posts: 108 Member
    I drink almost a gallon a day with no issues, but I'm also sure to keep my electrolytes balanced.
    Can you explain how to do that?
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Micronutrients?
    What are you eating?
    How often?
    Do you have any kidney disease in your family tree?
    Liver issues?
    Zoiks!
    8-10 glasses shouldnt do that to a person.

    When I first started weight loss I used to get horrible heartburn from water.
    =(
    Now I drink 8-12 a day.
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
    "Endurance sportsMarathon runners are susceptible to water intoxication if they drink too much while running. This is caused when sodium levels drop below 135 mmol/L when athletes consume large amounts of fluid. This has been noted to be the result of the encouragement of excessive fluid replacement by various guidelines. This has largely been identified in marathon runners as a dilutional hyponatremia.[5] Medical personnel at marathon events are trained to suspect water intoxication immediately when runners collapse or show signs of confusion"
  • WilliamsPeggy
    WilliamsPeggy Posts: 440 Member
    Wow! How horrible for you and your daughter. I hope you get back to 100% soon!
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
    That is a normal amount to drink for hydration. Did the doctors do additional tests to see about other underlying problems causing dehydration? If not, I'd see your regular doc and discuss to make sure there isn't something else causing this.
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
    No kidney, liver, or any other diseases run in my family. I had an EEG, EKS, CT Scans, Spiral CT scan of chest, ultrasound of carotid arteries, etc. While I was in the hospital I saw a neurologist, cardiologist, ER doctor, etc. Every single test they could run, they did. Final diagnosis Water Toxicity. All I am saying is I want those of you who were doing what I was doing to learn a lesson. Make sure you get the proper sodium and electrolytes otherwise all of these things will be flushed out of your system and you could end up like me. This is no fun, trust me.
  • KMcBandit
    KMcBandit Posts: 65
    Oh my.. Feel better! My husband is a scientist he's talked to me about this before the water from foods etc so I tend to drink half the normal amount required and seem to be ok.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Many people will know I have been an advocate of "you get water from lots of other sources" since i joined.

    I'm sorry you had to go through this. But at least now you know, and hopefully your story will convince others. :)
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
    Oh my.. Feel better! My husband is a scientist he's talked to me about this before the water from foods etc so I tend to drink half the normal amount required and seem to be ok.


    EXCELLENT!!!!
  • soccerella
    soccerella Posts: 619 Member
    "Endurance sportsMarathon runners are susceptible to water intoxication if they drink too much while running. This is caused when sodium levels drop below 135 mmol/L when athletes consume large amounts of fluid. This has been noted to be the result of the encouragement of excessive fluid replacement by various guidelines. This has largely been identified in marathon runners as a dilutional hyponatremia.[5] Medical personnel at marathon events are trained to suspect water intoxication immediately when runners collapse or show signs of confusion"

    this is definitely true, and infact you will often see medical professionals handing out salt packets at endurance races beacuse you are not meant to drink a cup of water at every single stop, but most rookies will do so and end up with the condition described above. Drink some gatorade or similar at these things to get some electrolytes

    what I still dont understand though is how it resulted in dehydration? like the other posted, just trying to understand.
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
    That is a normal amount to drink for hydration. Did the doctors do additional tests to see about other underlying problems causing dehydration? If not, I'd see your regular doc and discuss to make sure there isn't something else causing this.


    There wasn't a single test they DIDN'T run on me.
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
    "Endurance sportsMarathon runners are susceptible to water intoxication if they drink too much while running. This is caused when sodium levels drop below 135 mmol/L when athletes consume large amounts of fluid. This has been noted to be the result of the encouragement of excessive fluid replacement by various guidelines. This has largely been identified in marathon runners as a dilutional hyponatremia.[5] Medical personnel at marathon events are trained to suspect water intoxication immediately when runners collapse or show signs of confusion"

    this is definitely true, and infact you will often see medical professionals handing out salt packets at endurance races beacuse you are not meant to drink a cup of water at every single stop, but most rookies will do so and end up with the condition described above. Drink some gatorade or similar at these things to get some electrolytes

    what I still dont understand though is how it resulted in dehydration? like the other posted, just trying to understand.


    My body wouldn't RETAIN the necessary water to keep me hydrated.....since I had low sodium and my electrolytes were being flushed out of my body by the water....the end result is DEHYDRATION!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,027 Member
    "Endurance sportsMarathon runners are susceptible to water intoxication if they drink too much while running. This is caused when sodium levels drop below 135 mmol/L when athletes consume large amounts of fluid. This has been noted to be the result of the encouragement of excessive fluid replacement by various guidelines. This has largely been identified in marathon runners as a dilutional hyponatremia.[5] Medical personnel at marathon events are trained to suspect water intoxication immediately when runners collapse or show signs of confusion"
    But are you a marathon runner? This evidence would only apply to them since they are running for more than 2 hours straight without any consumption of food. And as mentioned electrolyte balance is off.
    Yours sounds different than this.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • hewhoiscd
    hewhoiscd Posts: 1,029 Member
    Sounds like a horrible experience! Glad you are back home.

    I'm curious, how many calories did you eat that day and the days before? How many calories did you burn in exercise that day and the days before? What are your maintenance cals?
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
    I am also 5' 4.75" and 135lbs. I drink anywhere from 8-14 glasses of water a day and have had no problems. Everyone is different. There are a lot of factors that go into medical issues such as this (what you are eating, electrolyte levels, medical history, etc.). 8 glasses of water is not a problem for most statistically or it would not be a recommended daily allowance.
  • bear_nakey
    bear_nakey Posts: 340 Member
    That is why they recommend athletes to drink sports drinks to replenish sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes. In this instance, doing what you were suppose to do turned into a bad thing. IMO, and experience, the water was flushing everything out via waste and sweat, but there was nothing to replace those needed nutrients to keep your bp at a normal level. Something similar happened to a friend of mine, and the Dr. basically said the same thing: some people can maintain their nutrients and don't need replenishing drinks while being athletic, while others NEED to have them (which is why they were created in the first place), low bp and passing out = low sodium. But your right, this actually is the definition of water toxicity. It's not an overdose of water, it's when the water flushes out all of the goodies!!
    . . . Soooo, have you made up some death-defying heroic tale to tell those who ask about the black eye?! (I have done that before, it's hilarious!)
  • heykatieben
    heykatieben Posts: 398 Member
    Creepy. Did you get any warning signs, feeling weird, anything? I guess this is a sign not to drink water just to try to get in what MFP says you should (instead, drink when I'm thirsty), but surely thirst won't lead me wrong, right?

    PS - feel better!!! thanks for sharing. :)
  • azsuzi
    azsuzi Posts: 1,169 Member
    Very interesting.... Thanks for posting this!
  • Figuringoutme
    Figuringoutme Posts: 330
    First to other posters: everyone's body is different!! They react differently


    When I drink more water i seem to get dizzy easier. I would drink at least a gallon a day. I talked to my doctor about getting dizzy and he said to make sure I was getting enough water. lol

    Feel better!
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
    Creepy. Did you get any warning signs, feeling weird, anything? I guess this is a sign not to drink water just to try to get in what MFP says you should (instead, drink when I'm thirsty), but surely thirst won't lead me wrong, right?

    PS - feel better!!! thanks for sharing. :)

    I think they say you need to drink BEFORE you are thirsty. If you feel thirst, you are already dehydrated. That's what I've heard anyway. People can correct me if I'm wrong :)
  • czechsmate
    czechsmate Posts: 556 Member
    Wow...that's pretty scary! My husband keeps telling me about my water intake as well...I guess we should listen to our bodies more and simply drink when we are thirsty instead of trying to meet a certain number.
  • vs1023
    vs1023 Posts: 417 Member
    How scary!
    Perhaps your body just reacts this way? I know I drink a gallon a day sometimes with no issues. I love water and I don't force myself to drink it, I just do.

    Hope you feel better soon!
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
    http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/side_effects/dehydration.jsp

    "Don't rely on feeling thirsty to tell if you're getting enough water. You may not feel thirsty until you've already lost quite a bit of water, so try to drink throughout the day. An easy way to tell if you're getting enough water is to look at the color of your urine. If your urine is pale to clear, you're probably getting enough water. If it's dark, it's more concentrated, which means you are becoming dehydrated. Try to increase the amount of water and other liquids you drink. (Multivitamins can sometimes darken urine, so keep that in mind if you're taking one.)"

    I know it is a breast cancer site, but the basic principle applies to everyone I'm sure since I've heard it elsewhere before.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    First to other posters: everyone's body is different!! They react differently


    When I drink more water i seem to get dizzy easier. I would drink at least a gallon a day. I talked to my doctor about getting dizzy and he said to make sure I was getting enough water. lol

    Feel better!

    Thank you for posting this!! There are so many factors behind hydration (over, under or normal) that you can't just say "I got over hydrated becuase I drank 8 cups of water today". Everyone has different diets and activity levels and may drink more liquids than just water or eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies so they get liquids that way. You just never know.

    I personally like to give people the advice to drink water slowly (sip, don't chug) and to monitor your urine color, as posted above from the breast cancer site.
  • wallyg7
    wallyg7 Posts: 15 Member
    .
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